Anna Kerns Photography Blog

Every time I hangout with my Grandma Nancy, she teaches me something new. She’s brilliant. And she has the best stories! I just spent the week at her house and I think I’m still full from all the delicious bites she served! Delicious. Grandma and I share a love of antiques. I’ve been to enough antique malls and auctions to know how much value ‘something old’ can have. But even though I like to look at nice things, and even have nice things, the value of antiques is not what I care about. It’s about a unique find. Antiques carry stories with them.

My Grandma showed me something I had never heard of, a High School Memory Book. It didn’t belong to her; she picked it up at a sale. It’s a handmade book, tied with a shoestring, filled with handwritten notes and poems. The memory book belonged to a girl named Elizabeth “Betty” from her high school days in 1925. It’s filled with all things sweet, strangely silly, and even a little saucy!

I could not stop laughing at some of the things they wrote! Betty must have a wild side because a guy named Ed Burke wrote this in her book, “The sea is wide, the land is level. Come to my arms, you sweet little devil!”

That’s not all. Mary Fawsett wrote, “High as the heights of heaven, Deep as the depths of hell, Here’s to the girl who can have a good time, and has sense enough not to tell.” Oh. My.

“When you get married, and your husband gets cross, pick up a broom, and say ‘Now who’s the boss!’”  -Helen Davenport

“What say Betty! Bread is bread, cheese is cheese. What’s a kiss without a squeeze?”  -Margaret

“Remember me on the mountain. Remember on the lake. Remember me on your wedding day. For I want a piece of cake.”  -Mildred Laggard

“As sure as my dad’s cow has a tail, my love for you will never fail.”  -Rosaline Kaplan

“Here’s to the girls that steals, lies, and swears. Steals into your arms, lies there, and swears she’ll be true.”  -KAO

“When you are married and spanking six, think of me between the licks.”  -Perry Gibson

“What we admire, we see in looks. What we value, we read in books.” -Mary Payne

Something that absolutely surprised me was a note that mentioned Frederick! It was written by a girl named Dorothy Lee Sampson, who said, “When you look upon this page, think of all those happy days up in Frederick with Mrs. Dawson.” I’ve been living in Frederick nearly a year and a half now, and even though it’s not my hometown, Frederick is my home. This is where I met and fell in love with my (soon-to-be) husband. This is where uprooted my life and my photography studio, after six wonderful years in Savannah. So, reading a floppy paged book from 1925 might seem silly, but when I came across that page the said, “all those happy days up in Frederick,” I felt a connection. That is what makes me adore ‘something old.’

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite pages, written by young Frances Sherman, “May your life be like arithmetic. Your joys added. Your sorrows subtracted. Your friends multiplied. And your enemies divided.”

It’s official! Anna Kerns Photography, LLC is a fine art wedding and portrait photography studio in Frederick, Maryland! After shooting weddings and portraits in Savannah, Georgia for six years, I’m looking forward to the change of scenery. This is actually my first time living near mountains, and being so close to city life in Washington DC and Baltimore. I grew up in Illinois and went to college in Georgia, so I’m used to cornfields and beaches. There always seems to be something going on in Frederick, and tons to see in the DC/VA/MD area. There are some gorgeous historical sites and wedding venues that I can’t wait to shoot at.

I recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography. SCAD is often referred to as the ivy-league of art schools (with a tuition to match!), offering more degree programs and specializations than any other art and design university. In addition to photography studies, SCAD prepared me for a creative career with a solid set of fine art foundational courses and art history courses. Since I started my photography business while I was in college, I was able to refine my craft with the helpful critiques of my professors and peers. I had several opportunities for elective courses, with which I studied business marketing, graphic design, and advertising.

Why would I leave behind the warm winter weather and sweet tea in Georgia? Family, of course! My parents had recently moved to Frederick and told me I would love it here. They were so right! When I moved to Maryland, I had to start from scratch because I didn’t have any friends or connections yet. So, I started searching for online for interest groups and a church, which led me to amazing friends. I even joined an online dating website, which led me to my future husband, Matt! We are getting married in May in historic Frederick, then taking off for a honeymoon in Cancun!

I already had a passion for weddings, but now that I’m a wedding photographer and a bride, I’m joyfully obsessed with weddings! One of my favorite things to do is read blogs and pin my favorite photos and wedding ideas on Pinterest. If you’re a bride, I would love to hear about all those little details you’re planning. I’m full of creative solutions for stylish brides on any budget!

There is no doubt that 2012 will be one of the most exciting years in my life. My grandfather always said, “Find something to celebrate every day!” As we begin a new year, I encourage you to find joy in the little things. Cheers to all the memories you make in 2012, which of course, I’d love to capture!